Xaghra Parish » Gallery » 2014 » 05 JAN 2014 - THE MAGI IN XAGHRA
On Sunday 5th January 2014, the feast of the Epiphany was celebrated in the village of Xaghra Gozo. A couple depicting Mary and Joseph carrying baby Jesus made their way to their place on the parvis in front of the Basilica, with four shepherds, one carrying a lamb following. The shepherds adored Baby Jesus and then took their place next to the Holy Family.
From three different streets, the Wise Men on horseback converged on Victory Square. They travelled wearing rich attire accompanied by pages carrying the three biblical presents, gold, incense and myrrh. In Victory Square they followed a moving star that travelled overhead, moving across the Square until they arrived in front of the manger where, one by one, they presented their gifts and adored Baby Jesus.
The Ghaqda Il-Milied fix-Xaghra (Society Christmas in Xaghra) started this event for the first time on the islands during the Christmas celebrations in 2009. The Arrival of the Magi or ‘La Cavalcata dei Re Magi’ as it is widely known in Italy, this year was organized with the full collaboration of the Parish of the Nativity of the Virgin in Xaghra, The Ministry for Gozo and the Xaghra Local Council. A large crowd this year watched the spectacle.
Ghaqda ‘Il-Milied fix-Xaghra’ was founded in 2004 to promote and coordinate the many celebrations and artistic events related to Christmas taking place in Xaghra. This Society is affiliated with Ghaqda Hbieb tal-Presepju Ghawdex - Malta 1985 and the international Crib Federation Universalis Foederatio Praesepistica.Some of its main aims are to see that cultural, religious and folkloristic Christmas traditions are encouraged and promoted to preserve our heritage and identity through quality, educational and cultural initiatives. Ghaqda ‘Il-Miled fix-Xaghra’ strives to keep alive our heritage such as the art of crib and nativity statuette making – ‘presepju’, typical Christmastide Gozitan gastronomy and treats, Xaghra folk and classical Christmas songs and music and literature amongst others through research, interviews, publications, seminars, exhibitions and cultural tours. This Society, besides sustaining all these aspects of the Xaghra Christmas Heritage, works hard to help these Christmas traditions to evolve in our contemporary days and present it as a cultural product of Quality to Gozitans, Maltese and foreigners. The annual seminar about the art of crib making was organized last November. This Christmas, a record of twenty seven large artistic Nativity cribs where open for public viewing in Xaghra.
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